أَنا لِلرَكائِبِ إِن عَرَضتُ بِمَنزِلِ
وَإِذا القَنوعُ أَطاعَني لَم أَرحَلِ
When the horses are at my abode, I do not depart,
And when contentment obeys me, I do not move on.
لَم أَطلُبِ المُثري البَخيلَ لِحاجَةٍ
أَبَداً وَأَقنَعُ بِالجَوادِ المُرمِلِ
I never sought the miserly giver for any need,
And I make do with the generous, though he be dusty.
وَأَرى المُعَرِّضَ بِاللَئيمِ كَأَنَّهُ
أَعشى اللِحاظِ يَحُزُّ غَيرَ المَفصِلِ
I see the one who turns away the base as one
Blind of vision, slaughtering other than the joint.
وَلَرُبَّ مَولىً لا يَغُضُّ جِماحَهُ
طولُ العِتابِ وَلا عَناءُ العُذَّلِ
And how many a master whose wrath is not curbed
By long censure or the toil of rebuke -
يَطغى عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ تَلأَمُ شَعبَهُ
كَالسَيفِ يَأخُذُ مِن بَنانِ الصَيقَلِ
He prevails over you while you suffer his people
Like the sword that takes the softness from the polished.
أَبكي عَلى عُمرٍ يُجاذِبُهُ الرَدى
جَذبَ الرِشاءِ عَنِ القَليبِ الأَطوَلِ
I weep for a life pulled by fate,
Pulled like the rope from the long wellwheel.
أَخلِق بِحَبلٍ مُرسَلٍ في غَمرَةٍ
أَن سَوفَ يَرفَعُهُ بَنانُ المُرسِلِ
I created with a loose rope in a confused night,
Hoping the Rope-thrower will lift it.
ما كُنتُ أَطرَبُ لِلِقاءِ وَلا أَرى
قَلَقاً لِبَينِ الظاعِنِ المُتَحَمِّلِ
I was not disturbed by meetings, nor did I see
Worry in the separation of the burden-bearing camel.
أَلوي عِناني عَن مُنازَلَةِ الهَوى
وَأَصُدُّ عَن ذِكرِ الغَزالِ المُغزِلِ
I divert my rein from indulging passion,
And I turn away from remembering the amorous gazelle.
وَأَزورُ أَطرافَ الثُغورِ وَدونَها
طَعنٌ يُبَرِّحُ بِالوَشيجِ الذُبَّلِ
And I visit the outskirts of encampments, and below them
A piercing that makes the dusty rags quiver.
أَأَنالُ مِن عَذبِ الوِصالِ وَدونَهُ
مُرُّ الإِباءِ وَنَخوَةُ المُتَدَلِّلِ
Shall I attain the sweetness of union, and beneath it -
The bitterness of estrangement and the smoothness of the pampered?
ما كُنتُ أَجرَعُ نُطفَةً مَعسولَةً
طَوعَ المُنى وَإِناؤُها مِن حَنظَلِ
I never drank a sugared draft willingly,
Nor did I desire a cup made of Oleander wood.
أَعَقيلَةَ الحَيّينِ دونَكِ فَاِرفَعي
ما شِئتِ مِن عَذَبِ القِناعِ المُسبَلِ
Aqilah of the living, rise above me
With whatever you wish of the fresh gathered.
هَيهاتَ تَبلُغُكَ اللِحاظُ وَبَينَنا
هَضبٌ كَخُرطومِ الغَمامِ المُقبِلِ
Alas! Her glances cannot reach you, for between us
Is a slope like the trunk of the approaching cloud.
أَوطانُ غَيرِكِ لِلضِيافَةِ طَلقَةٌ
وَسِواكِ في اللأواءِ رَحبُ المَنزِلِ
The homes of others are open to hospitality,
But only yours, in misfortune, has spacious quarters.
وَإِذا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ أَضافَ لي
أَمَلي نَزَلتُ عَلى الجَوادِ المُفضِلِ
And when the Commander of the Faithful hosts me,
I hope my descent is upon the excellent steed.
بِالطائِعِ المَيمونِ أُنجِحَ مَطلَبي
وَعَلَوتُ حَتّى ما يُطاوَلُ مَعقَلي
With the obedient auspicious one I achieve my goal,
And rise up so high none can vie with me.
قَرمٌ إِذا عَرَتِ الخُطوبُ مُراحَهُ
أَدمى غَوارِبَها بِنابٍ أَعضَلِ
A warrior - when war presented its difficulties
His spear dampened its severity with stabbing.
مُتَوَغِّلٌ خَلفَ العَدوِّ وَعِلمُهُ
أَنَّ الجَبانَ إِذا سَرى لَم يوغِلِ
One who penetrates behind the enemy, and his knowledge
That the coward, when he walks, does not penetrate.
وَإِذا تَنافَلَتِ الرِجالُ غَنيمَةً
قَسَمَ التُراثَ لَها بِحَدِّ المُنصُلِ
And when the men share the spoils of war,
He distributes the inheritance with separation by lot.
ثَبتٌ لِهَجهَجَةِ الخُطوبِ كَأَنَّما
جاءَت تُقَعقِعُ بِالشِنانِ لِيَذبُلِ
Firm against the clamor of tribulations as if
He came to crack the armor with the whips.
رَأيُ الرَشيدِ وَهَيبَةُ المَنصورِ في
حُسنِ الأَمينِ وَنِعمَةِ المُتَوَكِّلِ
The view of Al-Rashid and awe of Al-Mansur in
The beauty of Al-Amin and blessing of Al-Mu'takil.
آباؤُكَ الغُرُّ الَّذينَ إِذا اِنتَمَوا
ذَهَبوا بِكُلِّ تَطاوُلٍ وَتَطَوُّلِ
Your noble fathers when they passed away
Took with them all vainglory and pretentiousness.
دَرَجوا كَما دَرَجَ القُرونُ وَعِلمُهُم
أَن سَوفَ يُخبِرُ آخِرٌ عَن أَوَّلِ
They treaded as the centuries treaded, and their knowledge
That the last will tell of the first.
نَسَبٌ إِلَيكَ تَجاذَبَت أَشياخُهُ
طِوَلاً مِنَ العَبّاسِ غَيرَ مُوَصَّلِ
A lineage ascribed to you seized by its elders,
For ages from Al-'Abbas without being linked.
هَذي الخِلافَةُ في يَدَيكَ زِمامُها
وَسِواكَ يَخبِطُ قَعرَ لَيلٍ أَليَلِ
This caliphate - its reins are in your hands,
While besides you others flounder in a gloomy night.
أَحرَزتَها دونَ الأَنامِ وَإِنَّما
خَلَعَ العَجاجَةَ سابِقٌ لَم يَذهَلِ
You won it beyond all people, indeed,
Only a precursor takes off the burdensome garment.
بِحَوادِرٍ يُعنِقنَ مِن تَحتِ القَنا
عَنَقاً يُعَرِّدُ بِالذِئابِ العُسَّلِ
With perils that twist necks from beneath the spearheads
A neck adorned with battle ornaments.
غُرٌّ مُحَجَّلَةٌ إِذا اِحتَضَرَ الوَغى
نَقَّبنَ عَن يَومٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلِ
Proud warriors when war came to a head,
They dug up a day darker than pitch.
دُفِعَت فَأَيُّ الحُزمِ عَنها لَم يَضِق
عَرَقاً وَأَيُّ اللُجمِ لَم يَتَصَلصَلِ
Repulsed - so which resolve did not constrict
A vein, and which determination did not waver?
سَلَخَ الظَلامُ إِهابَهُ وَتَهَلَّلَت
جَنَباتُ ذاكَ العارِصِ المُتَهَلَّلِ
The darkness peeled away its covering and the
Sides of that towering ascendant became exposed.
طَلَعَت بِوَجهِكَ غُرَّةٌ نَبَويَّةٌ
كَالشَمسِ تملَأُ ناظِرَ المُتَأَمِّلِ
With your face there rose a prophetic innocence
Like the sun filling the viewer's eye.
وَإِذا نَبَت بِكَ في مُسالَمَةِ العِدى
أَرضٌ وَهَبتَ تُرابَها لِلقَسطَلِ
And when an irrigated land grew with your reconciliation with the foe,
You donated its soil to the harvester.
وَفَوارِسٍ ما اِستَعصَموا بِثَنيَّةٍ
إِلّا طَلَعتَ عَلَيهِمُ في جَحفَلِ
And horsemen who did not seek refuge in a pass,
Unless you rose over them fully armed.
شَرَدَت بِنا ذُلُلُ الرِكابِ كَأَنَّما
يَذرَعنَ بُردَةَ كُلِّ قاعٍ مُمحِلِ
The mounted beasts scattered us as if
Each terrain relished our return.
وَالآلُ يَنهَضُ بِالشُخوصِ أَمامَنا
وَيَمُدُّ أَعناقَ القِنانِ المُثَّلِ
And the retinues stood with their departure before us
Extending the necks of their water-skin carriers.
مِن كُلِّ رابِيَةٍ تَرَفَّعَ جيدُها
فَكَأَنَّهُ هادي حِصانٍ مُقبِلِ
From every ascending camel its neck rose
As if it were a guide for the approaching camel.
وَمُعَرَّسٍ هَزِجِ الوُحوشِ كَأَنَّما
طَرَقَ المَسامِعَ عَن غَماغِمِ مِرجَلِ
And a snarling lion whose roar seemed to strike
The hearing with the growling of the lioness.
عَرَكَت جَوانِبَنا الفَلاةُ وَأَسرَعَت
في العَظمِ وَاِقتاتَت شُحومَ البُزَّلِ
The wastelands grazed our flanks and hastened
To the bone, devouring the fat of twisted ropes.
وَإِلَيكَ طَوَّحَ بِالمَطيِّ مُغَرِّرٌ
عَصَفَت بِهِ أَيدي المَطيِّ المُضلِلِ
And to you one deceived by his mount swooped down,
Blown by the hands of the mount to perdition.
فَأَتَتكَ تَلتَهِمُ الهَواجِرَ طُلَّحاً
وَالظِلُّ بَينَ خِفافِها وَالجَروَلِ
So he came to you consuming the desolate lands in haste,
While shade was between his trot and canter.
وَخَفائِفاً فُجِعَت بِكُلِّ حَقيبَةٍ
مَلأى وكُلِّ مَزادِ ماءٍ أَثجَلِ
With light scouts woken in every saddlebag,
Filled, and every skin of water, overfilled.
وَعَلى الرِحالِ عَصائِبٌ مُلتاثَةٌ
تَلوي بِشَعرٍ ثَمَّ غَيرِ مُرَجَّلِ
And on the saddlebags were dishevelled headbands
Twisted with hair, then unbraided.
عَلِقَت حِبالَكَ ثُمَّ أَقسَمَتِ المُنى
أَن لا لُوينَ بِغَيرِ حَبلِكَ أُنمُلي
Your tent ropes stretched out, then the wishes swore
To not be coiled except by your ropes.
أَمَلٌ جَثا بِفِناءِ دارِكَ قاطِناً
وَكَأَنَّهُ بِفِناءِ وادٍ مُبقِلِ
A hope sat wasting away in the courtyard of your house,
As if in the courtyard of a torrent valley.
وَمُجَلِّلٌ يُندي يَدَيكَ كَأَنَّما
غَطّاهُ عُرفُ العارِضِ المُتَهَدِّلِ
And a supplicant rubbing your hands as if
The clouds of the lofty covered him.
أَرجوكَ لِلأَمرِ الخَطيرِ وَإِنَّما
يُرجى المُعَظَّمُ لِلعَظيمِ المُعضِلِ
Alas - how many favors you adorned him with,
Overflowing like the hems of the embroidered cloak.
وَأَرومُ مِن غُلَواءِ عِزِّكَ غايَةً
قَعساءَ تَستَلِبُ النَواظِرَ مِن عَلِ
So he rose and circled like an eagle to the heights,
While his enemy plunged headlong to the depths.
كَم رامَها مِنكَ الجَبانُ فَراوَغَت
شَقّاءَ يَلعَبُ شِدقُها بِالمَسحَلِ
And in his love - if he were an ancient friend
Or a seed that passed with a festering disease.
تُدمي قُلوبَ الحاسِدينَ وَتَنثَني
فَتَرُدُّ عادِيَةَ الخُطوبِ النُزَّلِ
The one with a twisted sneer - his forehead yielded to you
Unacceptable and unreceiving.
ضاقَ الزَمانُ فَضاقَ فيهِ تَقَلُّبي
كَالماءِ يَجمَعُ نَفسَهُ في الجَدوَلِ
When he saw you, his steps grew short
In fear, and he clamored in the outer hall.
هَذا الحُسَينُ إِلى عَلائِكَ يَنتَمي
شَرَفاً وَيَنسِبُ مَجدَهُ في المَحفِلِ
By God - you have left a lasting impression
By the hands of a maker of impressions without peer.
أَسلَفتَهُ وَعداً عَلَيكَ تَمامُهُ
وَسَيُدرِكُ المَطلوبَ إِن لَم يَعجَلِ
You ennobled us beyond all people, indeed -
The righteousness of a kinsman is the act of favor.
فَاِسمَح بِفِعلِكَ بَعدَ قَولِكَ إِنَّهُ
لا يُحمَدُ الوَسميُّ إِلّا بِالوَلي
You drew us like al-Jurayy drew to the heights,
And if a lofty one ascended, he did not descend.
فَلَعَلَّنا نَمتاحُ إِن لَم نَغتَرِف
ماءَ المُنى وَنُعَلُّ إِن لَم نُنهَلِ
For you are most right to lead and guide,
And most zealous in guarding the Prophet's son.
كَم وَقفَةٍ ناجَيتَهُ في ظِلِّها
وَالقَولُ يَغدُرُ بِالخَطيبِ المِقوَلِ
The dust of your gifts is ransomed
By the gifts of others with ample uddered sheep.
ثَبَّتَّ فيها وِطاءَهُ وَوَراءَهُ
جَزَعٌ يُقَلقِلُ مِن قُلوبِ الجَندَلِ
If not for your cloud of generosity, a rider would complain
Of deserts with his camel knelt at the watering place.
إيهٍ وَكَم مِن نِعمَةٍ جَلَّلتَهُ
تَضفو كَهُدّابِ الرِداءِ المُخمَلِ
And worthier of praise is one who initiates kindness
That reaches wombs not reached before.
فَسَما وَحَلَّقَ كَالعُقابِ إِلى العُلى
وَعَدوُّهُ يَهوي هُوِيَّ الأَجدَلِ
My master - who can I hope to see you, and how can I
Attend your house while the enemy is at a distance?
وَبِوُدِّهِ لَو كانَ قَرناً سالِفاً
أَو نُطفَةً ذَهَبَت بِداءٍ مُغيِلِ
Look at me with some of your glance, a look
That raises my sight and elucidates my words.
وَمُشَمِّرِ العِرنَينِ خَرَّ جَبينُهُ
لَكَ غَيرَ مَقبولٍ وَلا مُستَقبَلِ
For now I am not pleased while you afford me
The contentment of the ascetic and reserve of the reserved.
لَمّا رَآكَ تَقاصَرَت خُطَواتُهُ
جَزَعاً وَجَعجَعَ بِالرِواقِ الأَوَّلِ
Hope, O Commander of the Faithful, we have the freedom
To not sleep away from wishful thinking.
لِلَّهِ أَنتَ لَقَد أَثَرتَ صَنيعَةً
بِيَدَي مُعَمٍّ في الصَنائِعِ مُخوَلِ
With a mouth - when speech lifts its veil -
Giving tidings even if not asked.
شَرَّفتَنا دونَّ الأَنامِ وَإِنَّما
بِرُّ القَريبِ عَلاقَةُ المُتَفَضِّلِ
And a hand - if you wring its passing cloud -
Pouring clear honeyed drink upon you.
وَجَذَبتَنا جَذبَ الجَريرِ إِلى العُلى
وَإِذا اِرتَقى مُتَمَطِّرٌ لَم يَنزِلِ
You erase the myths of afflictions as the north wind
Erased the burdensome clouds.
فَلَأَنتَ أَولى بِالإِمامَةِ وَالهُدى
وَأَذَبُّ عَن وَلَدِ النَبيِّ المُرسَلِ
No fearful protector of your support takes shelter in a spear
If he wished to pierce with the bare blade.
أَغبارُ دَرٍّ مِن عَطائِكَ تُفتَدى
مِن دَرِّ غَيرِكَ بِالضُروعِ الحُفَّلِ
This Caliph does not deviate from the guidance
If the night of the wakeful affliction sleeps.
لَولا غَمامُ نَداكَ أَصبَحَ راكِبٌ
يَشكو الأُوامَ وَقَد أَناخَ بِمَنهَلِ
When I rallied to his victory at the joined battle,
He repelled time, with my ankles fettered.
وَأَحَقُّ بِالإِطراءِ باعِثُ مِنَّةٍ
وَصَلَت مِنَ الأَرحامِ ما لَم يوصَلِ
In it are my eulogies, as if I had poured
All my arrows in that target.
مَولايَ مَن لي أَن أَراكَ وَكَيفَ لي
بِحُضورِ دارِكَ وَالعَدوُّ بِمَعزَلِ
With each rhyme when I released it,
It yanked the rein of the hurried rider.
اِنظُر إِلَيَّ بِبَعضِ طَرفِكَ نَظرَةً
يَسمو لَها نَظَري وَيُعرِبُ مِقوَلي
And I gained from its breeze and vicinity
The most sublime of boons and most protected refuge.
فَالآنَ لا أَرضى وَأَنتَ مُمَوِّلي
بِرِضى القَنوعِ وَعِفَّةِ المُتَجَمِّلِ
نُعمى أَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ حَريَّةٌ
أَن لا نَنامَ عَنِ الرَجاءِ المُهمَلِ
بِفَمٍ إِذا رَفَعَ الكَلامُ سِجافَهُ
أَوحى بِنائِلِهِ وَإِن لَم يُسأَلِ
وَيَدٍ إِذا اِستَمطَرتَ عابِرَ مُزنِها
دَفَقَت عَلَيكَ مِنَ الزُلالِ السَلسَلِ
تَمحو أَساطيرَ الخُطوبِ كَما مَحا
مَرُّ الشَمالِ مِنَ الغَمامِ المُثقَلِ
لا يَحتَمي بِالرُمحِ باعُ مُؤَيَّدٍ
لَو شاءَ طاعَنَ بِالسِماكِ الأَعزَلِ
هَذا الخَليفَةُ لا يَغُضُّ عَنِ الهُدى
إِن نامَ لَيلُ القائِمِ المُتَبَتِّلِ
لَمّا أَهَبتُ بِنَصرِهِ لِمُلِمَّةٍ
دَفَعَ الزَمانَ وَقَد أَناخَ بِكَلكَلي
واليتُ فيهِ مَدائِحي فَكَأَنَّما
أَفرَغتُ نَبلي كُلَّها في مَقتَلِ
مِن كُلِّ قافِيَةٍ إِذا أَطلَقتُها
عَطَفَت عِنانَ الراكِبِ المُستَعجِلِ
وَظَفِرتُ مِن نَفَحاتِهِ وَجِوارِهِ
بِأَجَلِّ نَعماءٍ وَأَحرَزِ مَوئِلِ
